Travel Assistance Program – Information for PatientsThe Travel Assistance Program (TAP) helps alleviate some of the transportation costs for eligible B.C. residents who must travel within the province for non-emergency medical specialist services not available in their own community. TAP is a corporate partnership between the Ministry of Health and private transportation carriers. The program is coordinated by the Ministry of Health Services and the transportation partners agree to waive or discount their regular fees. TAP does not provide direct financial assistance to patients for travel costs. See also regional Health Connections travel assistance programs. Hotels Offering Discounted Accommodation Contact Travel Assistance Program Patient Eligibility To be eligible for TAP:
The physician's referral must be to the closest location for non-emergency specialist medical services not available in your community. TAP forms are only available from your GP or family physician at the time the referral is made. Health care services provided by practitioners other than medical physicians (e.g. acupuncturist services, psychology, optometry, physiotherapy, massage therapy, podiatry, dentistry, naturopathy and chiropractic) and services not insured by MSP (e.g. experimental procedures, drug trials or cosmetic surgery) are not eligible for TAP. Meals, accommodation, fuel and local transportation expenses are not included in TAP. Escort Eligibility An escort is eligible for TAP only when accompanying a patient who is: An escort is not eligible for TAP when driving a vehicle on behalf of a patient who does not qualify under (1) or (2) above; or when travelling alone to pick up a patient.
Program Benefits BC Ferry Services, Inc. – Full discount for patient, escort (if approved by referring physician) and regular passenger car fare (those traveling in over height and extra length vehicles, including recreational vehicles and trailers, are required to pay the difference between regular and assessed fare for their vehicle). Central Mountain Air Ltd. - Regular fare discounted and some flight restrictions waived. CMA serves the following communities: Campbell River, Comox, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George, Quesnel, Smithers, Terrace, Willaims Lake, Dawson Creek and Vancouver. For more information, call at: 1-888-865-8585. Harbour Air - 30% discount on regular economy fares on air travel. For more information, call 1-800-665-0212 or your travel agent. HawkAir – special fares that do not require advance booking, allow change of travel dates without a change fee, are refundable, and can be booked for an open return. A TAP form or doctor's letter is required. HawkAir flies from Smithers, Prince Rupert and Terrace-Kitimat to Vancouver. Patients can call 1 800 487-1216 to book a flight. Helijet - 30% discount on economy fare for flight on scheduled service between Victoria and Vancouver Harbour or Vancouver Airport. For reservation, call1-800-665-4354. Northern Pacific Sea Planes – 30% discount on air travel in Prince Rupert/Queen Charlottes area. Call 1-800-689-4243. Pacific Coastal Airlines – Special medical fares (approx. 30% discount off regular full fare) can be purchased up to any time before scheduled flight departure with immediate credit card payment. Fully refundable, no change or cancellation fees. Point-to-point flights to/from Vancouver only Anahim Lake, Bella Bella, Bella Coola, Campbell River, Comox, Cranbrook, Klemtu, Masset, Port Hardy, Powell River, Terrace, Trail, Victoria, Williams Lake. Call 1-800-663-2872. West Coast Air – 30% discount on scheduled flights. To book, contact Central Reservations at 1-800-347-2222 or e mail reservations@westcoastair.com. West Coast Air is a trusted and convenient link to Vancouver Island, offering daily scheduled service to Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox, and the Sunshine Coast. Locally owned & operated, the company has 40 years of floatplane experience. Angel Flight - provides free air transport for cancer patients whose medical conditions make it difficult or impossible for them to travel by conventional means, to and from hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices and other medical facilities on the lower mainland and points on Vancouver Island. Call (250) 818 - 0288 for more information and to arrange flights. VIA Rail – 30% discount. Tickets can be obtained at VIA ticket offices in Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Victoria. B.C. residents located outside these areas should call 1 800 561-8630 toll-free to make advance ticketing arrangements. Pacific Coach Lines - Cost of the ferry deducted from ticket price on travel between Victoria and Vancouver and 30% discount on bus fare for medical travellers. Also provides free bus transportation for cancer patients requiring treatment at the Vancouver Cancer Centre. For more information, call (250) 385 - 3348. Malaspina Coach Lines - Cost of the ferry fare deducted from ticket price on travel between Powell River A number of hotels in BC will provide a discounted accommodation rate for individuals and families who must stay way from home overnight to obtain medical care. Discounted room rates are subject to availability and at the option of a property. Call listed property to confirm rate and availability. Inquire about proof of medical necessity which may be required.
How to Apply Fill Out Your TAP Form Your physician's office or specialty clinic will provide the TAP form and complete most of it for you. Check to make sure the information entered is correct and that the form has been signed or stamped by the referring physician's office. Print your address, including postal code, and telephone number in the spaces provided. Sign the declaration on the front of the form confirming that your medical travel expenses are not covered by a third-party insurance plan or another government program. Telephone TAP before you make travel arrangements to verify your eligibility and receive a confirmation number. Applicants who present forms without confirmation numbers will be refused discounts. The TAP automated application service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When you call TAP, you will be asked for your Personal Health Number (on your B.C. CareCard) and the information provided by your physician on the TAP form. Please have your CareCard and the TAP form ready. Once your TAP request is accepted, enter the TAP confirmation number in the space provided on your form.
Present Your Completed TAP Form To receive your discount, present the completed TAP form (including the TAP confirmation number) at the time you make air, rail, and northern ferry reservations. If you are traveling by B.C. Ferries on southern routes, present the completed TAP form at least one hour prior to your planned departure time at the following locations: Comox, Powell River, Nanaimo: Toll booth For northern ferry routes, present your completed TAP fiorm at least 24 hours before scheduled sailing at the following locations: Skidegate/Prince Rupert: Administration Income Assistance Recipients If you are receiving basic Income Assistance from the Ministry of Housing and Social Development, telephone TAP for a confirmation number, then take the form to your Financial Assistance Worker before making travel arrangements.
Follow-up Appointments If the specialist or specialty medical service provider determines that another appointment is required as part of the same course of treatment, please ask the specialist's office for another travel assistance form to be completed for the next appointment. Forms can also be provided to eligible patients from the Social Work departments of major hospitals, the B.C. Cancer Agency, Centre for Excellence at St. Paul's Hospital, Kidney, Heart, Heart/Lung, Liver and Pancreatic Transplant Clinics, and other hospital based specialty clinics. Follow the same procedure as outlined above under How to Apply to obtain travel discounts. Contact Medical Travel Programs
Medical Travel Programs PDF Format Some documents on this Web site are in PDF format and require a PDF reader. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 7.0 or the most recent version of another PDF reader, you can download Adobe Acrobat Reader by clicking on the 'Get Acrobat Reader' icon. |
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